Appliqué technique
 

Thinking about an appliqué project and wondered what technique you use? I have seen some use freezer paper templates to shape their piece. Some use an interfacing which is sewn and then turned to give a finished edge look. Looking for pros and cons of appliqué processes.

I mostly do "raw edge" applique. I fuse Soft n Fuse to the fabric, cut out the shapes then use the buttonhole stitch on my machine to sew them down. I'm working on a Lori Holt applique quilt right now and am using this method. I've never had a problem with the appliques coming undone in the wash or with use. I'm too impatient to sew everything down by hand, although I love that look.

The majority of the applique quilts I have made were done with freezer paper templates. I was able to have great control over exactly where the placement of each piece had to go. I love the finished look. It takes a great deal of time to do a full size quilt doing any applique designs.
Now that I am working with the Accuquilt cutting system so much I am experimenting with raw edge applique. I don't have a real handle on it yet but still playing with it. It will take me some time to learn raw edge applique. I believe it will be worth the learning curve.

I do both. It mostly depends on the shape of the appliqué. For irregular edges with lots of tight curves and angles I usually do raw edge. For straighter appliqués I prefer turned under edges. I especially like the Appliquick method: A stiff interfacing fused to the wrong side of appliqué with edges turned under around the interfacing, using a glue stick to keep them in place. The Appliquick tools are available online, but I think you could find inexpensive substitutes.

The appliqués can be stitched down by hand or machine for the turned under method.

I usually do needle turn, but I've also done raw edge and took a class in Appliquick (haven't used it since then). It depends on the project. For example, I wouldn't try needle turn on a Toni Whitney pattern, but I would always use it on Hawaiian applique. Most people try a few different methods before settling on one that works for them.

I mostly use a combination of the freezer-paper method and Appliquick. I swap the freezer paper out for Templar (heat-resistant plastic template material), and starch instead of glue. I like the Appliquick tools.

In the past I have done raw edge machine applique for landscape quilts.

I committed to doing a hand applique quilt for my older daughter's wedding present and she chose Kim Maclean's The Flower Garden, but instead of Kaffe Fassett fabrics, she wanted it in the tones and fabrics of Civil War reproductions. The applique pieces for this quilt were large enough to allow me to use freezer paper and either remove it through a remaining straight edge that I then sewed up or by cutting through the back of the applique and removing the paper. I found that back basting on the outside of curves to gather the excess fabric eliminates the sharp angles that can sometimes form. I'm appliqueing the last border of this quilt.

And for my younger daughter, I committed to doing a Quiltworx Judy Neimeyer double wedding ring pattern (Flowers for my Wedding Quilt) with hand appliqued flowers and vines in the outside border. Because a lot of these pieces were small and/or narrow, I used leave-in-place applique sheets that break down and soften with age/washing. Quilt top is finished, waiting for me to finish her sister's top.

If you're using freezer paper or adhesive in applique, be gentle in removing the paper as too good adhesion can cause the fabric threads to misalign as you remove the paper, messing up the fabric's pattern.

I use Therm O Web HeatnBond Ultra Hold iron-on adhesive. Instructions are given on the back of the package. Some of the stores it can be found at are JoAnn, Hobby Lobby and Wal-Mart. I would guess Amazon probably has it too.

Thanks
 

Thanks for your comments. Gives me something to think about. Enjoy your weekend.

I use a variety of methods, depending on the piece, and I think every method has its pros and cons. I do prefer using freezer paper underneath, but sometimes traditional turned under works best. I don't like using the interfacing method because I can't seem to be points pointy enough for my taste. I reserve raw edge for tiny pieces that my aging hands can't seem to manipulate well. Try them all, and choose what you feel most comfortable with.